Entrepreneurship Day

Muscatine Entrepreneurship Exposition

#MadeInMuscatine

The Muscatine Entrepreneurship Exposition (E-Day) is held in early May every year.
In 2015, the event was expanded to two days. As always, it featured local and regional
entrepreneurs as keynote speakers, including:

Douglas BusterPresident of Fabricators Plus

Buster will kick off the Muscatine Entrepreneurship Exposition on Tuesday May 5 in
the Founder’s Forum – a student, invitation-only event to be held at the Muscatine
History and Industry Center.

Fabricators Plus is a single source, full service provider of custom metal fabricated
products and a contract manufacturer serving customers in Iowa and the Midwest for
over 10 years.

Daniel NietzelFounder/Inventor/President of Fighting Chance Solutions

Nietzel is also scheduled to tell students his company’s startup story.

Fighting Chance Solutions (FCS) was formed when educator Nietzel conceived an idea
to help protect students and teachers in an active shooter or violent intruder scenario
in a school by securing the door closer arm found on most classroom doors. Often in
schools, classrooms only lock from the outside, forcing a teacher into the line of
fire to secure the room. Nietzel and his co-founders created The Sleeve and began
marketing it to schools and companies throughout the world in June 2014.

Both Fabricators Plus and Fighting Chance Solutions are Muscatine companies.

Nate Kaedingformer University of Iowa & National Football League star and Serial Entrepreneur

Kaeding is the scheduled capstone speaker for the event on Wednesday, May 6th. Kaeding
will share his insights on how leadership, the creative mindset and a ‘can-do’ attitude
are key ingredients to entrepreneurial success. He is a Founding Partner in Shorts
Burger & Shine Restaurant, Tailgate (brick & mortar retail store), and Pullman Bar
& Diner.

In addition to keynote addresses, student e-speed networking activities and conversations
with entrepreneurs, the event features on Wednesday, May 6th the E-Challenge Networking
Reception & Entrepreneur Challenge Exhibits to be held in Strahan Hall at Muscatine
Community College.

Following his keynote address, Kaeding will help announce the winner of the 4th Annual
E-Challenge Business Pitch Competition to end the 2-day Entrepreneurship Exposition.

During the first three years of this event’s CEO/Founders Forum, students have had
the opportunity to meet and learn from a number of prominent Muscatine entrepreneurs
and business leaders. Speakers from previous years included: